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Ah, spring is in the air, and one of the surest signs the season of renewal is upon us is the opening of the annual New York Auto Show, the last major international extravaganza to bloom during first half of the year.

The 2007 New York show is shaping up to be one of the biggest and most action packed in years, with major debuts breaking all over the place. We’ve already seen snippets and more from numerous automakers, including multiple offerings from Nissan/Infiniti in the form of the G37 Coupe, EX Concept and Nismo 350 Z. Hyundai has made some big time waves with its coming rear-drive Genesis Concept, as is Subaru with the next-generation of the Impreza and its vaunted WRX variant. Mercedes is also checking in with its fire-breathing CL 65 AMG and Honda‘s got a special S2000 coming.

On the domestic front, General Motors seems determined to take over the Jacob Javits Center and is coming strong with one of its most impressive showings in some time, fronted by the updated Cadillac STS, Super Buicks, hopped-up Hummers and Korean designed minicars among its formidable New York arsenal.

What would a recent domestic auto show be without yet another Mustang to drool over, this time a Carroll Shelby inspired creation drawing from a legendary Pony Car, the Shelby GT500KR. In addition, the Blue Oval is bringing its latest crossover, the Flex, along, and we hear they may have another surprise in store. Even embattled Chrysler is getting in on the act with a couple of Jeep updates.

As its name suggests, the G37 is motivated by a new 3.7-liter VQ-series V-6 that delivers 330 horses and 270 pound-feet of torque. Compared with the 306-horse, 3.5-liter, 268-pound-foot V-6 in the second-gen G sedan, the 3.7 utilizes the same 95.5mm bore but features a longer 86.0mm stroke (versus 81.4 mm), a higher-compression ratio (11.0:1 versus 10.6:1), and roughly 35-percent unique parts. The “VHR” components denote Infiniti’s innovative Variable Valve Event and Lift technology and the 3.7’s “high-revolution” capability, i.e., a redline of 7500 rpm. According to Infiniti, VVEL, which continuously varies the timing and lift of the intake valves, provides more power and torque throughout the powerband as well as improved fuel economy and reduced emissions. This vigorous VQ will no doubt find its way into such other Infiniti products as the FX sport/ute and the M and G sedans, not to mention the next Nissan Z and the upcoming Skyline GT-R.

With a 612 horsepower, biturbo 6.0-liter V12 engine, the supercoupe makes the 0-62 mph sprint in just 4.4 seconds and is at 124 mph from a standstill in 13.3 seconds. Unfortunately top speed is limited at 155 mph, a restriction that aftermarket tuners are undoubtedly already working on removing. All that power is turned into forward motion via AMG’s SPEEDSHIFT five-speed automatic, with paddle shifters of course. Three user selectable settings – Sport, Comfort, and Manual – allow for a change in transmission, throttle response, and suspension characteristics to adjust for different styles of driving.

AMG is partularly proud of the brake system it has installed in the CL 65 AMG. Utilizing innovative twin sliding calipers in the front, the system has the heat dissapation advantages of a floating system, while combining the stopping power of a large fixed-caliper setup. AMG claims impressive stopping distances, resistance to fade, and pedal feel.

Mercedes brought plenty of fire-breathing power to New York this year, with the CLK63 AMG Black Series joining the CL65 AMG on its show stand. Also like the CL65 Anniversary Edition, the Black Series is another vehicle produced to celebrate AMG’s 40th birthday. A street-legal version of the Official F1 Safety Car, the special CLK63 is powered by AMG’s 6.3-liter V-8, tuned to produce 500 horsepower, mated to mildly upgraded AMG’s seven-speed SPEEDSHIFT transmission. Acceleration has been pegged at a blistering 4.1 seconds with a top speed of 186 mph. Exterior enhancements include carbon-fiber flared fenders that house new AMG forged aluminum wheels (9 x 19 front, 9.5 x 19 rear) shod with Pirelli P Zero Corsa rubber (265 / 30 R 19 front, 285 / 30 R 19 rear). The vented and perforated composite disc brakes are 14.2 inches in diameter at the front, 13.0-inches at the rear. The car looks mean at the front, with carbon cooling air intakes under the front bumper and trick air outlets in the front fenders. Add-ons from the F1 Safety Car include an AMG sports exhaust, a limited-slip rear differential, a separate oil cooler for the rear final drive and a carbon-fiber spoiler. The chassis features adjustable suspension with new spring links, wheel carriers, thrust arms and camber and torque struts, additional adjustments can be made for track use, and its ASR traction control and ESP stability control systems have been calibrated with racing in mind. Larger intake ducts, a new AMG sport exhaust with full-length twin pipes and a recalibrated engine control unit are also part of the package. On the inside, the rear seats have been removed, and numerous interior AMG touches have been added to the mix.

A near-production vehicle which is the likely successor to Infiniti’s FX crossover (no word yet if the FX name will survive), the EX Concept looks like a cross between the FX and its new G sedan. The vehicle has an aggressively sloping roofline, what the automaker says is a luxurious interior, and a liquid crystal glass roof that can morph from transparent to translucent.

The EX Concept is also a showcase vehicle for a pair of new and evolving Nissan/Infiniti technologies: Around View Monitor (AVM) and Lane Departure Prevention (LDP). AVM uses cameras in the front, side, and rear of the car to minimize blind spots during parking. LDP is an evolution of Infiniti’s system that actively helps maintain position in, you guessed it, the lane in which you’re traveling.

Ford SVT one-ups the Corvette Z06 with a Racing Power Upgrade Pack to turn the 500-horsepower Shelby GT500 into the 540-horsepower, 501 pound-foot GT500KR, or “King of the Road.” It comes with a Tremec TR6060 six-speed manual, 3.73:1 rear axle ratio (versus 3.31:1 in the standard GT500) and such function-styling touches as a carbon-fiber hood with large scoop and stainless steel twistdown pins, functional front brake ducts for the 14-inch vented Brembos and a white-ball shift knob atop the short-throw shifter.

Ford SVT’s secrets under the hood include advancing the ignition timing and re-mapping the electronic throttle settings for quicker response and better off-the-line and mid-range acceleration. Ford says it’s the most powerful production Mustang ever, a far cry from what Carroll Shelby called “a secretary’s car” 40 years ago.

Ford isn’t talking sticker price yet, but it will build only 1,000 examples for the ’08 model year, all coupes. If you miss out, the SVT and Ford Racing parts are available off the shelf, so you can always build your own.

Launch of the GT500KR is next spring.

Prominently featured on the front of the 2008 STS is a variant of the Cadillac Sixteen Concepts’s oversized trapezoidal grille first seen in production on the 2007 Escalade. Although the rest of the front end remains unchanged, with the head and fog lights remaining the same, the radical change in grille styling gives the STS the much-needed injection of style that will keep it going until the next-generation is ready. Other styling touches include fender gills, narrower side marker lamps, chrome-plated door handles, and lower rocker moldings. The rear end remains virtually unchaged, although Cadillac did add 3-inch aluminum exhaust tips.

SVT says it will build a hot truck, but this isn’t it. In fact, look for an F-150 SVT no earlier than the ’09 model year, when an all-new truck is due.

Meanwhile, this truck designed by hot rod impresario Chip Foose is the closest thing, benefiting from an intercooled, supercharged 5.4-liter Triton V-8, pumping out 450 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque. It comes only with a four-speed automatic tranny.

For 2008, Subaru has dropped the B9 from the vehicle’s name, revamped the exterior and stuffed a new 3.6-liter H6 with 256 horsepower and 247 lb.-ft. of torque under the hood, which Subaru says delivers better fuel efficiency than the outgoing model’s 3.0-liter unit. The exterior changes are most evident on the front end, with a new-look grille, front fenders and hood design. At the rear, there’s a new rear valance below the tailgate and new, wider taillamps. The new engine is mated to an updated five-speed transmission, and of course, Subaru’s all-wheel-drive system. The interior largely remains the same, save improved access to the optional third row.

Honda is tuning up its venerable S2000 a couple of notches with a new trim level shown in prototype form at New York. The factory-tuned variant, which will be called the 2008 Honda S2000 CR, is designed with the track in mind and will be available in the fall of 2007. While the engine remains the same as the base S2000’s 237 horsepower, 2.2-liter, 16-valve unit, as does the six-speed manual, multiple modifications have been made to the CR to make it lighter, stiffer and quicker. A full-body aerodynamic package reduces lift in large part through the use of more aggressive front and rear spoilers. Chassis mods include firmer springs and dampers and larger stabilizer bars. Structural bracing has also been added to the storage area where the soft top used to reside, resulting in additional rigidity. A removable aluminum hard top replaces the soft top on the CR. When the hard top is removed, the weight savings over the base S2000 is around 90 pounds. Other added features include a quicker steering ratio, Bridgestone Potenza RE070 tires with a wider rear tire size, a new wheel design and exclusive interior touches. While we’re not so sure about the baby blue color choice of the prototype, the rest of the package sounds hot, and should be a ball to power around the track.